Critical Care
by RunningGladiator
Summary: Fitz is an Emergency Room physician. He meets a beautiful patient who has the potential to change his life forever. Rated M for future content. Started out as a one-shot.


There was a whirring in her head, flashing lights, strange voices, and an all-encompassing ache. She tried to open her eyes but the pain was unbearable. She wiggled her fingers and toes.

_Ok, I'm not paralyzed_, she thought, _but it hurts._

She felt air moving quickly, they were running with her but where was she and where were they taking her? The voices were unintelligible, joining the drone in her brain. She tried to move her neck but realized she couldn't.

"What's her name?" the deep baritone was so clear.

"Olivia" she thought she heard a female voice say.

"What happened?" the baritone again.

Her consciousness faded and she tried to remember what had transpired. The last thing she remembered was Jake pushing her to the floor. She felt tears prick at her eyes.

"Dr. Grant she's crying. She must be in pain" the female voice broke into her thoughts.

"Finish the trauma assessment, get her off the backboard, and we can give her some dilaudid" his voice sounded so authoritative. She decided she was in a hospital and the baritone must belong to her doctor.

"What about the C-collar?" the nurse asked.

"I want the CT before we touch the collar" the sound of his confidence made her feel safe, "I need to get a look at her neck too. The medics said it was bruising already" then his voice dropped to a mere whisper, "How could anyone do this?"

She retreated back to her memories, Jake straddling her, his hands crushing her windpipe. She remembered kicking and fighting as her world started to go black. More tears fell from her eyes.

"They're ready for her in CT" the nurse said reentering the room.

"I'll go with her" again his voice was authoritative. She heard the nurse begin to question him but he insisted, "I said I will go with her." And the matter was settled.

Fitz looked down at the small bruised woman on the stretcher as he pushed her to radiology. He had worked as an attending in the Emergency Department at George Washington Hospital for ten years, seen hundreds of abuse victims, men, women, and children, but none like her. He could see she was beautiful, despite the angry red and purple marks there was something about her. He felt drawn to her, protective, he wanted to save her.

Olivia felt warm fingers graze her temple. They were so gentle and seemed to chase the pain and haze away. She tried again to open her eyes this time succeeding to take in a slit of the world around her. She glanced first to the right and saw little more than institutional white walls, then she glanced left and met the most perfect blue eyes she had ever seen. They were cerulean, no crystal, or perhaps gunmetal, but they were deep and clear and, she discovered, belonged to the voice she had been hearing since she arrived at the hospital.

"You're awake" his face was close to hers and his voice soft, "Don't try to move. You had an accident. You're at George Washington Hospital. I'm Dr. Grant, Fitz. We're taking you to get a cat scan." The way he said the word accident was as if the term was a joke, they both knew what happened to her was no accident.

She opened her mouth to speak but he touched a finger to her lips, "Don't try to talk Olivia. I need you to rest. We'll get the collar off and give you some pain meds after I see that your head and neck are okay. You're going to be fine, I promise." He brushed his fingers over her forehead again, moving a strand of her obsidian hair, making it easier to look into her doe eyes.

Olivia dozed on and off, finally waking when they had returned to the Emergency Department. She felt Fitz touch her shoulder and winced slightly; "Is my head okay?" her voice was barely audible.

Fitz reached down to unhook the cervical collar and spoke as he did so, "It looks perfect" his smile caused her heart to skip a beat and his voice was nothing short of sensual, "Do you remember what happened?"

She nodded carefully and tears began to flow again, "He pushed me….and his hands were on my neck….I thought he was going to kill me."

It broke Fitz's heart to see her cry, "Jake Ballard did this to you?"

She nodded but couldn't speak.

"The police arrested him. Your neighbor Abby called when she heard the commotion" Fitz explained, "They'll send someone to take your statement once we get you settled in a room. Is there anyone you want me to call?" He took her hand, holding it in his and feathering his thumb over her knuckles.

"No" she returned, "there's no one."

"Is it alright if I sit with you?" Fitz tried to sound professional but his heart was thudding in his chest. He didn't want to leave the petite beauty.

"I'd like that" Olivia replied with a small smile. She felt him drop her hand from his and whined slightly.

"Did I hurt you?" a look of alarm crossed his face.

"No" she insisted, "I liked you holding my hand. It made me feel safe."

"You are safe, Olivia" he took her hand again, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you" and something made him place a light kiss on her forehead.

She was his patient he shouldn't have these feelings. He was her physician; she shouldn't be asking him to hold her hand and noticing how wonderful he smelled.

"Thank you Fitz" her voice was a little stronger, "but can you do something else for me?"

"Anything" he looked into her eyes as he held her hand.

"Kiss me again"


End file.
